Image: Art1 deepimpact

Description: Deep Impact Spacecraft Hurtles Toward Comet Explanation: What happens when you crash into a comet? That was a question considered by astronomers when they designed the Deep Impact mission. On July 4, 2005 the Deep Impact spacecraft reached its target - Comet Tempel 1 -- and released an impactor vehicle over five times the mass of a person toward its surface. The mothership photographed the result. The resulting crater was used to understand Tempel 1's composition. Pictured here is an artist's impression of the initial encounter between the spacecraft and the comet. Drawing Credit: Pat Rawlings, NASA, JPL, Caltech, U. Md.
Title: Art1 deepimpact
Credit: NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day, at http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050516.html
Author: Pat Rawlings, NASA, JPL, Caltech and U. Md.
Permission: Required attribution for use to read: "Photo courtesy of: Pat Rawlings, NASA, JPL, Caltech and U. Md. Image permissions information here".
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No